ok so im new to the diesel scene and am lookign to buy a 96-98 with the 12v (i know 98 was the crossover year) so what are the things to look for/ stay away from with these trucks??? im lookign for an automatic as the truck will be my daily driver, so i wont buy one with high miles unless its already had a rebuild.... any places on the frame to check for rot or cracks, common rust points etc....any tips would be welcome...... thanks from you new cummins newb

 

They're all pretty good. The early 98's had a 12v engine with the new interior if you like that. Don't worry too much about getting a high mileage one. I got mine with over 180K and the guy said he got a new tranny put in about 30k miles ago. That was appealing to me at the time but now I kinda wish I would've paid less for a truck with a blown up tranny so I could've spent that money for a high performance one. Of course it's all about the price, and if you can even find a clean 12v the way you want. Trust me, once you do a few mild mods and gain an easy 100hp, you will want more and your stock tranny will not hold up. Some say the '97's were the best year for the 12v because they started using hydro boost brakes in the back and had no chance of a 53 block. The brakes are not a big deal to me. The '98 12v might come with a "53 block." The 53 block is a problem on the 24v, where they crack and leak coolant. No 12v's with the 53 block have been reported to crack so even if you buy one don't worry about it, but it's just something to know.

If you're looking at a 4x4, all the front bushing n stuff will probably be worn. Particularly the track bar, which you will have to replace.

 

Well said charles

Chances are tho, that the KDP hasnt been done, so that should be on ur top priority to fix if you happen to get one. Try and see if you can find one with the five speed trans, as they have the 913 pump (IE 215 pump) and have massive BOMBing potential, (IE easily modified) I have the 96 with the vaccum system and i have no issues with it either...

In either case u have the best of the best of the 12 valve engines that you are looking for, but if you want the holy grail, find a 98 quad cab short box 4wd five speed,

Rick

 

The big thing is look for a truck that was well taken care of. Some people baby their trucks and those are the good ones. Then other people just dont care and thats when you run into problems.

Or you could just buy mine.....

 

Thanks Rick... Oh and also the 5spd's (nv4500) have a "5th gear nut" issue where the nut unscrews and fall off into the tranny. At that point you lose your 5th gear. Doesn't cause any damage to the tranny but you will have to open it to fix. It's caused by the engine having too much torque and if you gun it at low RPM's, over time you may loosen the nut. Just don't floor it below 1600 rpms, especially with mods.

 

cummnz4x4pwr bought a 12v with a cracked 53 block to do his p-pump conversion on his 24v. But 53 or not, I wouldn't turn down a nice 12v because of it. Theres hundreds of thousands of 53 blocks out there without cracks, its just that when one does split, everyone is gonna hear about it.

 

ok *** is the KDP??? yea an automatic 4x4 98 with the 12v quad cab short bed is probably the perfect truck that im looking for...... front end bushings, thats not too hard for me to deal with as im a ford technician for work. your saying a 5 speed automatic is the queen bee automatic to have if i go searchin for a 98????

 

All the autos are 4 speeds. Autos came with the 180 hp engines (911 pumps), and the manuals came with the 215hp engine (913 pump).

 

It's all about what you really want in the end. Yes, manual is better but personally I prefer auto and also long bed.

KDP is killer dowel pin. A pin in the timing case might wiggle itself loose over time. It was used to align the engine during manufacturing. Easy fix. Run a quick search.

 

ok thanks for clearing up the KDP thing for me...... i had read about the dowel pins, just didnt associate the acronym.. so right now ive got a lead on a 98 QC short bed 12v auto (burgundy color ) and ive got a lead on a 99 ext cab short bed (yes i know its a 24v) so aside from hoping the vp44 has been replaced, is there anything i should be looking for on the 99 for issues?

ultimately i would just like to have a NICE low maintenance daily driver with some f 'ing power, and i might end up using it it tow my 79 F150 to trails, pulls and mud bogs if i cant keep it street legal

the auto is a must for me as ive got a thing for killing tires and clutches on stick vehicles..... i drive about 45 min of fast city/highway miles each way to work, and im just sick of shifting all the time

 

I hear you on wanting the auto. 24v's are great motors. The pump will die... It's just a question of when. Maybe every 100k is not a big deal to change it out. Some have went 200k+ miles on the original pump. But if you don't want to worry about fuel additives, constantly looking at the fuel pressure gauge, etc. just go with the 12v. Otherwise the 24v is easier to upgrade. Just plug n play hp. The biggest thing to look for on the '99 would be the 53 block. I wouldn't buy one with a 53 block unless it was really cheap.

 

ok how do i ID a 53 block???? would it be possible to have one in a 99 truck??? or only the 98's?

 

Chances are you will have a 53 in 98-00. 53 is cast in the block on the left side, just above the oil pan, directly below the IP. I honestly wouldn't worry about it. Theres too many out there, especially in those years, to avoid. If you want to avoid them completely, look at an earlier 12v, or 01+ 24vs.

 

ok, 01's and up is gonna be more than i can afford...... rumor is that they only crack on the 24v's not the 12's???? if so then im just gonna have to look at the 12s

 

See my first reply.

I don't really see how the 24v would be more prone to cracking than a 12v, other than it has 20hp and 40 lb-ft. over the 12v in stock trim. Maybe its because the 12v only had the 53 for a half year run, whereas the 24v had it for 3+ years, and at that point, you're just playing the odds.